Will Smith is rumored to be returning as Genie in Disney’s Aladdin 2 for his first role since the infamous Chris Rock Oscar slap
- A report from The Sun claims Disney will be bringing back 54-year-old Smith to reprise his role as Genie from 2019’s Aladdin
- Aladdin was a huge hit, earning $355.5 million domestically and $1.054 billion worldwide from a budget of $180 million
- Smith’s co-stars Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott are both expected to return as Aladdin and Princess Jasmine, respectively
Will Smith is getting back to work, nearly a year after his infamous Oscar slap, which Eddie Murphy poked fun at at the recent Golden Globes.
The 54-year-old actor will reportedly return to portray the genie in a sequel to Disney’s 2019 live-action adaptation of Aladdin, via The Sun.
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Slap: Will Smith is back to work almost a year after his infamous Oscar slap, which Eddie Murphy poked fun at at the recent Golden Globes
Genie returns: The 54-year-old actor will reportedly return to portray the Genie in a sequel to Disney’s 2019 live-action adaptation of Aladdin, via The Sun
While Smith won his first Oscar for King Richard just minutes after the slap, his career has stalled.
He resigned from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and is barred from the Oscars for the next 10 years.
While he had projects like another Bad Boys sequel and The Council in the works, there have been no new role announcements since he slapped Chris Rock live on TV on Oscars Sunday.
Oscar win: While Smith won his first Oscar for King Richard just minutes after the slap, his career has stalled
Now he’s set to return as a genius, with sources claiming he’ll play an even bigger role in the sequel than he did in 2019’s live-action adaptation.
“This would be one of the first films Will has directed since the Academy Awards and it’s quite surprising considering it’s going to be a children’s film,” said the anonymous source.
“He’s been working on himself a lot and the consensus is that everything will be in the past by the time the film is released,” added the source.
Bigger role: Now he’s set to return as a genius, with sources claiming he’ll have an even bigger role in the sequel than he did in 2019’s live-action adaptation
“The first film was a huge success so it would be foolish not to do another and it would be a real shame to have to recast Will over what happened. So Disney is very keen to stand by him and bring him back into the herd,” the source added.
2019’s Aladdin was a huge hit, grossing $355.5 million domestically and $1.054 billion worldwide from a budget of $180 million.
The sequel was officially announced in February 2020, with new writers John Gatins (Flight) and Andrea Berloff (Straight Outta Compton) writing the screenplay.
Huge Hit: 2019’s Aladdin was a huge hit, earning $355.5 million domestically and $1.054 billion worldwide from a budget of $180 million
Reports have claimed that Mena Massoud (Aladdin), Naomi Scott (Princess Jasmine) and Smith would be reprising their roles from the original, although this has not been confirmed.
When asked about the sequel last month, Massoud said: “There has been a change with the writers and they are working on a new draft.”
“If Aladdin 2 happens, that’s fantastic. It should happen. It will not be based on the animated version. It’s going to be a new, original story,” he added.
Sequel: Reports have claimed that Mena Massoud (Aladdin), Naomi Scott (Princess Jasmine) and Smith would be reprising their roles from the original, although this has not been confirmed